IT IS every child’s dream to collect all the toys we want, to transport ourselves into our favorite storybook, and to dress up in a similar fashion as our favorite cartoon characters. Perhaps these unsatisfied childhood desires are what made the “kidult” market become popular in South Korea over the last decade, with its market exceeding ₩1.6 trillion last year.

The Yeonnam area has become a hotspot for the childlike aesthetic, as numerous designer prop shops have established their businesses in the area. Hoping to incite our childhood passions, the walls of these shops are lined with toys, collectibles, makeup, apparel, and stationary of varying themes.